Page 356 of Small Town Firsts

"Can I see her?"

"I'd like to ask you a few questions first."

"Yeah." The hope that was growing within me turns to ash. "Of course."

"Does she have any history of mental illness? Has she ever attempted suicide before?"

"Yes, and no." My heart aches for her, knowing she's lying in that bed, alone. What if she wakes up and there's no one with her?

"Elaborate, please."

"She was abused, for years, by a family member," I tell him, proceeding to give him all of the pertinent details. "So, can I see her now?" My voice cracks, but fuck if I have it in me to care.

"Yes, just one last thing."

"What?"

"Once we have a room for her, we will be moving her upstairs and placing her on an involuntary psych hold."

"Seventy-two hours, yeah, I figured."

The doctor eyes me speculatively. "I TA a psych class and she's a psych major."

"Got it." He pushes the door open. "You're welcome to stay with her until they take her upstairs."

"Thanks." I swallow roughly and head into the room.

I pause at the foot of her bed, the sight of her lying there, looking so small and fragile, hooked up to a plethora of monitors and wires, hits me harder than finding her on her bathroom floor.

As gently as possible, I take her hand in mine, careful not to bump the IV line. "Oh, God, baby. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

She stirs, humming under her breath, but she doesn't wake.

"I love you, Emmalyn. I know I messed up. God, do I. I was supposed to protect you and now look." I shake my head, disgusted at myself for not working harder to keep her safe.

I've known Rob practically forever. I, better than anyone, know what he's capable of. I should have seen this coming.

"I'm going to fix this. I know, I know. I've said that before. But this time, I'll fix this or die trying. I love you, Emmy. Today, tomorrow, and always. And I'll work tirelessly to prove it to you."

I lean down and press a kiss to her forehead, inhaling her scent, before pulling away, content to sit with her until they force me to leave.

CHAPTER 42

EMMY

Consciousness filtersin bit by bit, slowly waking me from the deepest sleep of my life.

I groan as I try to shift to a more comfortable position. There's a rhythmic beeping filling the room, and the sound is an affront to my already pounding head.

Where the hell am I?I wonder to myself as I try to open my eyes. The room is so bright, it's like looking into the sun. I whimper and immediately snap my lids closed.

"Are you awake?" someone, a man, asks.

I mumble some incoherent reply.

"Let me see if we can dim some of these lights." I hear him shuffle around the room and try to take stock of my body as he does. "Okay, try again."

Slowly, I blink my eyes open, and while it's still an adjustment, it's easier than it was the first time.

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